COMMUNITY POLICING FORUMS IN THE SOCIETY

Community Policing Forums (CPF) are small guarding group of people that seek to protect the community from law breakers.

A 28-year-old Nhlanhla Ndlovu who is the chairperson of Mandawe CPF in the south coast believes that these forums have paved a way for young people to stay away from ruthless
behaviours, and concentrate on making a good life for themselves.

Ndlovu told Journalismiziko that he thinks the amount of crime in the area has calmed down since the forum was introduced in 2009.

“I have seen a lot of people change since they were punished by the community. Some of them have now joined the forum,” said Ndlovu.

He added that it is the hiding they get from the mob that has contributed to some of them withdrawing from their acts.

Sifiso Gumbi (22) from Thafeni, said that he was beaten by the community and the CPF twice for stealing and housebreaking.

Gumbi said that he was later diagnosed with a mental illness which made him to go back home to his family. His family performed a ritual for him.

“I can say that I was healed after the ritual, because since then I have been a better person.

However I cannot tell whether the illness was caused by the beating or I was stealing because of the illness,” explained Gumbi.

Recently, KwaDabeka police have arrested a man who was attacked by the community for alleged rape of a 13-year-old.

Siyethemba Bhengu, a member of CPF in Mandawe, said that any form of violence and abuse to the community should not be condoned at any time especially during this time of the 16
Days of Activism.

“All CPF’s in societies should not be discouraged to do what they do. We cannot have adults forcing themselves on children. We can’t have people stealing and robbing others of their
hard-earned belongings.

Mob justice is not violence when it is done right and to someone who has been inflicting pain to other people,” expressed Bhengu.

However, for other community members like Tele Mzobe, a taxi driver also from Mandawe, mob justice is bad, it is another form of violence that is used to eradicate violence in the
society.

He said that the police should be given the opportunity to do their job.

“The CPF should take the criminals and hand them over to the police instead of assaulting them. It is very traumatic to see someone being beaten by a group of angry people,” Mzobe
said.